From: Jesse
To: The Path of Truth
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2014 1:02 AM
Subject: The Purpose Driven Life
Dear self-proclaimed believer,
Because I am not you, I therefore cannot call you out as whether or not you truly are saved. However, you self-proclaim yourself to be so, I’ll go along with it for now.
I simply wanted to write to you to point out something fairly foolish you stated in review of Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life” (which, by the way, is an amazing book to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with folks despite your obvious lack of discernment).
It only took one statement (out of several) from your rebuttal of “Purpose Driven Life” for me to seriously start questioning your own theological claims:
“There is no mention of confession of sins, or repentance, which must always come first.”
Are you SERIOUS???
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and NO!
Tell me, self-professing believer (who dares to question the salvation of other men, namely, Rick Warren’s father) how can one confess their sins and repent if they have not FIRST been sealed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for the Day of Redemption?
Answer: They cannot.
You’re basis for theology and sound doctrine is so far off I don’t even know where to begin.
You must ALWAYS be sealed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit FIRST before you can become self-aware of you need to confess and repent of your sin because the only one’s capable of doing so are those who have been become spiritually alive in Christ, first. For it has been faithfully written:
“A person who does not have the Spirit does not accept the truths that come from the Spirit of God. That person thinks they are foolish and cannot understand them, because they can only be judged to be true by the Spirit.” -1 Corinthians 2:14
Guess what, confessing one’s own sin? Foolishness, for sin itself is foolishness to the unbeliever. Repentance is also foolishness to the unbeliever. But the Holy Spirit convicts the lost soul of the reality of sin (see also John 16:8) which is key to being able to respond to the invitation that Christ sets before man concerning his salvation because once again, an unbeliever simply cannot confess their sins and repent without having first have been adopted into God’s family as a spiritually re-born, living child of God…
As much of a paradox as it may appear for God’s ultimate sovereignty and man’s own moral responsibility to coexist, mutually together, let me assure that with man, this would be impossible but not with God, for through Him all things are possible.
And I don’t even have time to go into all your other statements of ignorance save, maybe this last one: Another burden from the book: “The truth is-you are as close to God as you choose to be.”
This is a theologically SOUND statement as it has been faithfully written in the book of James: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” – James 4:8
Ie.,
“You are as close to God as you choose to be.” If you choose to draw near to God, He will then in return drawn near to you. However, if you choose to resist Him, He in turn will resist you.
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says:
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.” – James 4:7
Rooted in Christ the love of Christ,
– Mr. Jesse
From: Paul Cohen
To: Jesse
Cc: Victor Hafichuk
Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2014 4:47 PM
Subject: Re: The Purpose Driven Life
Jesse, you’re quite worked up over the gross misunderstanding you have of our writing on Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life. I’ll point out where you’ve deviated from what is actually being said in the paper, and you can decide what you’ll do with it, whether you’ll listen to godly reason and the Scriptures or continue to rant religious mumbo jumbo.
First up, you quote from the paper:
“There is no mention of confession of sins, or repentance, which must always come first.”
Mocking us in all incredulity, you ask:
“Tell me, self-professing believer (who dares to question the salvation of other men, namely, Rick Warren’s father) how can one confess their sins and repent if they have not FIRST been sealed by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit for the Day of Redemption?”
You have no idea what you’re talking about. The people who came down to the Jordan to be baptized of John and confessed their sins hadn’t yet been sealed with the Holy Spirit, even as John said to the Lord:
“But John restrained Him, saying, I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me? And answering Jesus said to him, Allow it now, for it is becoming to us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed Him” (Matthew 3:14-15 MKJV).
And:
“But He spoke this about the Spirit, which they who believed on Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39 MKJV).
So we see repentance comes before being sealed by the Holy Spirit, which was also the case even after the Lord was glorified:
Acts 19:1-6 MKJV
(1) And it happened in the time Apollos was at Corinth, Paul was passing through the higher parts to Ephesus. And finding certain disciples,
(2) he said to them, Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? And they said to him, We did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit is.
(3) And he said to them, Then to what were you baptized? And they said, To John’s baptism.
(4) And Paul said, John truly baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe into Him coming after him, that is, into Jesus Christ.
(5) And hearing, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
(6) And as Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
And what does this Word portion say about which comes first, repentance (an aspect of obedience) or reception of the Spirit?
“And we are His witnesses of these things. And so also is the Holy Spirit, Whom God has given to those who obey Him” (Acts 5:32 MKJV).
But you miss the bigger point being made in the paper: Warren doesn’t distinguish between those who have experienced authentic repentance, a work of grace by the Spirit of God, and those who only presume to have these things through a man-made imitation grace, which in truth is iniquity, that is, lawlessness.
Here’s the section in the writing on Warren’s book, with my emphasis added to portions that give the necessary context your criticism overlooks:
Warren writes:
“They [the disciples] responded to Jesus’ invitation. That’s all you need to get started: Decide to become a disciple.”
Overlooked is the crucial fact that the Lord specifically invited whom He willed, at the ordained time He invited them (Matt. 4:19, 9:9), and they responded to Him. Warren behaves as if, and is teaching people that, they are in the driver’s seat, making the decision to follow Christ whenever they want, becoming a child of God by the will of the flesh and of man. However, discipleship is only possible by His will, His calling, His drawing, His choosing and timing.
“And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called of God, as Aaron was” (Hebrews 5:4).
But even if a person has been given authentic repentance, turning away from his or her sins to the Lord, and committing in his or her heart to His will, by His grace, that is still not the new birth. Repentance may be likened to conception, with spiritual birth to follow in due time. In either case, Warren is causing people to assume they have something they don’t have. He writes:
“When we place our faith in Christ, God becomes our Father… The invitation to be part of God’s family is universal, but there is one condition: faith in Jesus.”
And:
“The moment you were spiritually born into God’s family you were given some astounding birthday gifts: the family name, the family likeness, family privileges, family intimate access, and the family inheritance.”
These privileges, according to Warren, include easy access to God:
“Unlike the Old Testament priests who had to spend hours preparing to meet him, we can now approach God anytime….”
Now, know this one thing for certain: I am not contesting the wonderful heritage of the saints in Christ, which is something beyond the comprehension of our ordinary senses:
“But as it is written, ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,’ nor has it entered into the heart of man, ‘the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us by His Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).
However, while one has the peace that passes understanding in Christ, and can always come to God in time of need, and be in prayer and thanksgiving always, this is not the same as the “easy access” Warren says is promised. It is not an automatic and casual relationship one might have with God, as he implies. The flesh must die and will never have access, let alone easy access, to God.
The point I wish to make here is that Warren is promising these things to the unregenerate and carnal man. He is speaking as if “faith in Jesus” is something you can find within yourself and exercise at will to be saved. That is not true, yet many are deceived by this erroneous gospel.
“For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
It is not your faith that can save you, it is the faith of Christ that does.
“…and the righteousness of God is through the faith of Jesus Christ to all, and upon all those believing…” (Romans 3:22 YLT).
The promises of God are all “yes” in Christ. They are not “yes” to the natural and fallen man. Warren does not mention any cost or what is truly required for one to receive and enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. He speaks of the natural man assuming the benefits and privileges automatically.
There is no mention of confession of sins, or repentance, which must always come first. There is no mention of the cross, which Jesus said we would need to take up if we are to follow Him and be His disciples, how much more to be His brethren, and have life in Him.
“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me, he cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he may have enough to finish it; lest perhaps, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish, all those seeing begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not first sit down and consult whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So then, every one of you who does not forsake all his possessions, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27-33).
According to Warren, if you make a certain statement, that is faith, and you have become born again. All that has really transpired, however, is mental assent to something desirable. You have been shown a picture of a house, asked you if you liked it, and when you said you did, were told you that you own it. The problem is, the one showing the picture does not have the deed to the house, is not even a realtor, nor does he represent the true owner.
Another way I can put it is that the man on the street corner trying to sell you an imitation Rolex will not talk about the extraordinary cost of the real thing, but will instead focus on the cheap price of the fake one (which you can now afford).
People in droves have been buying an imitation “pearl of great price.” They have not sold all they had to buy it, yet they expect the same payoff as those who have paid their all for the real thing. Not only is the future going to be a disappointment for those who buy into The Purpose Driven Life, but even the present suffers by the fraud Warren’s deceitful doctrine perpetrates on those who buy on the cheap:
“And Jesus answered and said, Truly I say to you, There is no man that has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospel’s sake, but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).
Is entrance into the Kingdom as easy as Warren puts it? Let’s see what God says:
“Confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22 LITV).
The notion or doctrine that salvation in Christ is free is a lie. While one “comes and buys without money,” one does buy. It will cost you everything you have and are. Money cannot buy the Kingdom of Heaven, but it will cost all your money and everything else. You cannot serve God and mammon.
The Purpose Driven Life can present all promise with no price, because its author, Warren, has never paid the price himself and does not have the promised goods. He has nothing to do with the fellowship of the saints, nor will you if you follow his teachings. He can only present a facsimile of Heaven that exists in his imagination. What he presents is bogus. [END QUOTE]
You compound Warren’s error of teaching people to presume they have salvation through a superficial and self-willed confession in your next criticism, where you responded to the following quote we answered from Rick’s book:
“The truth is-you are as close to God as you choose to be.”
You wrote to us:
“This is a theologically SOUND statement as it has been faithfully written in the book of James: ‘Draw near to God and He will draw near to you’ – James 4:8”
We run across people like you everyday, who believe they’ve chosen to be close to God, yet they, like you, aren’t even known by Him.
“And then I will confess to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you who work iniquity [lawlessness]!’” (Matthew 7:23 EMTV).
You put your trust in what man says and does, just as Warren teaches in The Purpose Driven Life, so it’s no wonder you’re so incensed to hear that your works are worthless before God and satanically deceptive to man. You’ve been exposed by the light the Lord has given us and there’s no way for you to return to your smug spiritual self-satisfaction, though you try with this vigorous denunciation.
You’re a confounded liar and hypocrite, Jesse, using “self-proclaimed believer” as a derisive title when addressing us, yet admitting at the same that you don’t know whether it’s true or not. You could just as easily, therefore, have called us “God-proclaimed believers,” but you choose the other because it serves your selfish purposes. You admit you’re shooting in the dark. And not only that, but by labeling us as you do, you admit that some believers are self-proclaimed rather than authentic, therefore making the very point that you criticize us for applying to Rick Warren.
Yes, the Lord exhorts us through James to draw near to Him, but He’s talking to the wheat, not the tares. Of the latter, such as you and Warren, He says:
“Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matthew 15:13-14 MKJV).
We have nothing to do with you, Jesse, because you have nothing to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. He has come through us to expose your wicked words and works.
“He must hold firm to the trustworthy Word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9 ESV).
Regarding the vile picture at the end of your letter, see Religious Images, Icons, and Likenesses.
Contending for the faith once delivered to the saints against the faith delivered in this present day by charlatans and scoffers,
Paul Cohen
www.ThePathofTruth.com